The Council Tax Reduction (Scotland) Regulations 2021

Conduct of further reviews S

96.—(1) A further review of a determination on an application is to be undertaken by one member of the panel appointed under regulation 95(1), except as set out in paragraph (6).

(2) A further review is to include an oral hearing unless the parties and the member of the panel who is undertaking the review agree that the review is to be disposed of by written representations.

(3) A party to a further review must, if requested, advise the member of the panel who is undertaking the review—

(a) whether that party agrees that the review may be disposed of by written representations,

(b) whether the applicant has appealed any application for housing benefit that may be relevant to the consideration of the further review, and if so whether that appeal has been determined (insofar as these matters are within the party’s knowledge).

(4) Where either party to a further review is requested by the member of the panel who is undertaking the further review to provide documents or information and fails to respond to that request within such timescale as the member considers reasonable, such inferences may be drawn from the failure as the member sees fit, including the inference that the further review should be allowed or refused.

(5) A request for further review that has been validly made in accordance with regulation 94 may not be withdrawn other than with leave of the senior reviewer.

(6) The member of the panel who is undertaking the further review—

(a) is to decide the procedure for that review, having regard to any guidance issued by the senior reviewer,

(b) may hold any oral hearing in public or private, as the member sees fit,

(c) may request, but has no power to require, the production of documents or the attendance of any person as a witness,

(d) if satisfied that there are good and sufficient reasons for doing so, may refuse to permit a particular person to represent a party at an oral hearing,

(e) may uphold or reject the request for that review, in full or in part, but must remit any calculation of the amount of an applicant’s entitlement to council tax reduction to the relevant authority, and

(f) must give full reasons for the decision to uphold or reject the request for review, if asked to do so by a party to that review within 14 days of the date on which the decision was given.

(7) A member of the panel may set aside a decision disposing of a request for further review if satisfied that it is in the interests of justice to do so.

(8) Where a decision is set aside the further review must be undertaken again.

(9) A request to set aside a decision must—

(a) be made within 14 days of the date on which the decision was given, and

(b) give reasons for the request.

(10) The relevant authority must implement the decision of the member of the panel disposing of a request for further review of a determination as soon as is reasonably practicable, including any calculation of the amount of an applicant’s entitlement to council tax reduction that is required.

(11) In the circumstances of a particular case the Scottish Ministers may consider it appropriate for three members of the panel appointed under regulation 95(1) to undertake the further review, and in such a case references in this regulation to anything being done or decided by a member of the panel refer to it being done or decided by all three members, or by two of them should they not be agreed.

Commencement Information

I1 Reg. 96 in force at 1.4.2022, see reg. 1